Okay, here's the second chapter. Since it was never mentioned in the series, I've given Buzz's mother my own head canon name. I've also included a reference to one of my all time favourite "Buzz moments."
I hope you enjoy this chapter, and that you've enjoyed the whole story too. After watching To Serve With Love again (my all time favourite episode) I'm getting an idea for a sequel!
Sons And Mothers
Chapter Two
Peace offerings came in many forms. For a team of guilty detectives, it was a boxful of donuts. Or, rather, the two that had been deliberately kept aside in that morning's feast. Apple and caramel, with chipped apple sprinkles.
Buzz's favourite, that he rarely got to enjoy. And, to get back in their Chief's good books too, a deluxe strawberry dream, with extra deep frosting.
Scooping it up into a napkin, Brenda glanced around at four, expectant faces, and returned the hope she found there with an approving smile. Yes, nothing like a night of stewing in your consciences to make such a difference. It showed they'd taken last night's orders as seriously as she'd hoped.
"Tomorrow, you'll make this up to him, big time."
Glancing at the box beside her, the smile widened. Yes, this qualified for big, with room to spare. All fine and dandy too, except... well, no Buzz. As Provenza never tired to remind them, you could set your watch for the time he came in each morning. 07:00, right to the minute. Three hours on, such unusual lateness was making itself felt.
She knew why already, of course. All part of the plan that she'd set into play last night. Her team, though, were still in the dark. And as more glances at watches suggested, they were getting a little antsy. Enough for Andy Flynn to now ask what they all were thinking.
"I know you said not to, Chief, but... look, maybe one of us should call him. Just to see if he's okay."
"Yeah, even when he was sick that time, he was still here by eight," Julio agreed, nodding towards the box beside her. "And if he doesn't get here soon, they're going to go stale."
Okay, so an ulterior motive may have lurked behind the concern, but Brenda still had to smile as she gently stopped him from reaching his phone.
"It's all right, Julio, he's... uh... taking some personal time with his mom. He'll be in soon, so... uh... just keep them for him, okay?"
She'd said it so casually, hoping they'd leave it there. She should have known better. Four worried detectives latched onto that comment like search dogs following a scent. Coffee and donuts were instantly forgotten. And with the greater reason to do so, it was Provenza this time, who just beat Flynn to the pinch.
"Why, has something happened? Is she all right?"
Well, shoot. So much for keeping this as 'low key' as Buzz had asked for. Still, the cat was out the bag now. Kinda late now, to try and push it back inside. She'd learned that from fighting Joel into his vet-box. Still had the scratches to prove it.
Back to more serious matters, though. The check-up call that had turned into a much longer heart to heart, and a two way plan of action to put it all right again.
"Yes, Lieutenant, she's fine, but... well, I think Buzz had as much thinking to do last night as the rest of you. He's, uh, been worried for a while now, that she's become too reliant on this prescription, and... well, he's taking her to the doctor this morning, to see if there's a better treatment he can give her."
Anxious frowns now turned to prouder smiles, and Provenza's highest seal of approval for his unofficial son.
"That's our boy."
Nods all round this time, as everyone relaxed back with their coffees and donuts. After upsetting him so badly, this was just what they'd hoped to hear. Then, right on cue, they heard something - no, someone, else.
"...yeah, the first day I came here, I nearly got lost too, and... yes, mom, we're almost there... just round here, just round this corner... this is where I work."
An unmistakeable voice, that gave Brenda the best show of the year as her team stared at each other, then sprang into action. A very important visitor was about to come around that corner. And as desks and files were rapidly cleared and stacked, two sets of eyes met in mutual understanding. A silent order for tactful diplomacy, answered with a nod of agreement.
By the time they appeared, everyone was on their feet. Not just in respect for Buzz, but the woman who held so tightly onto his arm. As startled glances silently acknowledged, she was as far from a gun toting drug dealer as it was possible to get.
So small against the height of her son, Eleanor Watson peered just as uncertainly back at them. Then she smiled, and all question over which parent Buzz had taken after disappeared. Even with the blight of glaucoma within them, her eyes were the same, warm blue, while hints of darker blonde still showed through her fade to grey hair.
Yes, just your everyday, if nudging towards elderly mom - but one still fiercely protected by her firstborn child. Still not sure how they were going to react, Buzz's arm had slipped around her shoulders now, its message as clear as the one in his eyes.
This is my mother. And God help any of you who dare to upset her.
For Provenza, of course, that warning held its own significance. So something more than gallantry now prompted him to greet her with his very best smile, and a private message of his own as he squeezed Buzz's arm.
"Lieutenant Louie Provenza, ma'am. And I cannot tell you how honoured I am to meet you."
An ice breaker at the Arctic couldn't have done it better. All the tension between them disappeared as Buzz smiled back at him, and stepped in to introduce the others.
"Thanks, Lieutenant, that... uh, really means a lot. So, mom, this is Lieutenant Andy Flynn... Mike Tao... Detective David Gabriel... Julio Sanchez... and last, but definitely not least, our Deputy Chief, Brenda Leigh Johnson..."
For them, of course, it was that first time meeting when you didn't quite know what to say. For Eleanor, though, faces now connected to the people that her son had told her so much about. And with those connections came their equally varied histories. The responses that could make your boy beam with pride one moment, and squirm with embarrassment the next.
"...Deputy Chief, at such a young age... well, good for you, Brenda Leigh... good for you..."
"...well, aren't you the handsome devil?"
"...oh, the one who knows everything about everything!"
For Julio, though, the handshake lasted a little bit longer. From one victim of tragedy to another, their eyes held for those same extra moments. And, for Julio, a mother's words brought immeasurable comfort for his own, still painfully raw loss.
"Sé fuerte."
"Gracias."
Settling into the closest chair that had been pulled out for her, Eleanor glanced around her. When she smiled again, it confirmed once and for all where Buzz had inherited his sense of humour.
"Well, Buzz, it's bigger than I thought. Nice, though. Very nice. And all these donuts too. Just like they have on TV."
For several seconds, everyone, son included, just stared at her. Then, as Buzz started to grin, so everyone else started to laugh. If any of them were still holding onto their previous opinions, they'd surely let go of them now.
Beyond her failing sight, Eleanor Watson's mind was still as sharp as a tack. For Buzz, though, the relief that she was still so thankfully lucid also had its downsides.
"And it's so nice to finally meet you all. Buzzie's told me so much about you, and he's forever telling me how much he loves it here. Aren't you, Buzz?"
Head bowed into a shielding hand, Buzz just nodded - glaring through his fingers as Flynn mouthed the question that everyone else was just dying to ask.
"Buzzie?!"
Oh, great. And was there any chance that his embarrassment would end here? Was there hell.
"Yes, ma'am, we're real lucky to have him here too."
Julio this time, throwing him the kind of grin that told him he'd pay for this gem for days, weeks, and months to come. And, of course, the tale behind his nickname would just be the start of it.
"So, Mrs Watson... how did Buzzie here get to be Buzz?"
Buzz's face vanished back behind his fingers. The same fingers that had taught an overly curious four year old that sticking them into a power socket really wasn't a good idea.
By the time Eleanor had finished sharing that childhood mishap, Buzz's face was as red as his shirt. Not from the embarrassment that Brenda and the others had dreaded, but the same laughter that took them both into another, priceless memory.
"Oh, that's nothing. When he was eight, he took our TV and VCR to pieces..."
"...hey, I was a curious kid, okay? I just wanted to see how they worked..."
"...oh, weren't you just? But you put them all together again too."
"Yes, and they worked even better afterwards," Buzz reminded her, still laughing as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Now, before you spill any more of my deep, dark secrets, can I get you something to drink? We've got a really good break room here, and I brought some of that peppermint tea you like."
For him of course, it was a chance to escape the next tale of toe curling embarrassment. But for Provenza, it gave him the moment he'd been waiting for, to take Buzz privately aside, and apologize to him properly.
"Yes, Buzz, that's an excellent idea. Here, let me help you get them in."
That earned him a startled, but then more familiar smile as they left a fresh wave of laughter behind them, and headed for the break room. Glancing across at him, Provenza had to smile too. To think this quiet, selfless young man had been such a normal little boy - yes, it was a revelation that could only have one outcome.
"Well, weren't you the young scamp?" he chuckled, taking the martyred grin he received in response to take this gentle teasing just a little bit further. "And I hope you realize, she still has around ten more years worth to go."
"Oh, lucky me," Buzz sighed, still grinning despite the greater embarrassment to come. "And wait 'til you see my baby pictures. She's, uh... brought a few."
Ah. So that explained the over-large bag that he'd also gallantly carried in for her. Beyond his laughter, though, Provenza still knew that more serious matters still had to be addressed. Enough for him to set his hand on Buzz's shoulder, and meet his startled glance with his rarest, gentlest smile.
"Well, that's a mother's privilege. Her way of showing us how her baby boy has turned into a son that every mother would be proud of. And before I say any more, Buzz, I'm sorry for being such an ass last night. I could have handled this whole thing with your mother a whole lot better. We all could. You were relying on us for understanding and support, and... well, I'm sorry to say you didn't get it."
Just hours ago, he'd seen the anger for their insensitivity rage in Buzz's eyes. Now they were back to their calm, clear blue - expressing all the same gratitude that quietly followed.
"Well, you're all showing it now. And I can't tell you, Lieutenant, how much it's appreciated, because... well, when I left here last night, I had a lot to think about too. About my mom, and what her reliance on that prescription could eventually do to her."
As he fell silent once more, Provenza just nodded. Thanks to the Chief, he knew where that soul-searching had led to, but... no, better to play dumb here, and let Buzz reveal it for himself. And the more he said, the better the news appeared to be.
"That's why I was so late in this morning. I took her to see her doctor again, to find a better way to treat the headaches she gets from her glaucoma. For her to get a more natural way to sleep, and... gosh, Lieutenant, it went better than either of us had hoped for. There's all kinds of herbal aids for insomnia, that she's going to try straight away. And best of all, her glaucoma is fully curable by surgery, so he can refer her for that, and..."
As this hopeful optimism died away, Provenza nodded once more. Damn it, here it was. The hitch he'd known was coming. Such surgery would cost a small fortune. From the now subdued voice beside him, Buzz knew it too.
"Now I just need to find the money to pay for it. Even with insurance, it's going to be around three thousand dollars, so... yeah, if there's any overtime going for the next year or so, I'm first in line to take it."
Turning back to finish making their drinks, he didn't see the smile that had again spread over Provenza's face. With or without that overtime, his 'Buzz Fund' was officially go.
More immediately, he had one last apology to make. To his surprise, though, Buzz beat him to it.
"And I'm, uh, sorry about last night too, Lieutenant. For walking out on you like that, but... well, once I'd calmed down, I realized a lot of what you'd said was right. I've seen enough of its consequences to know where such excessive use of marijuana can lead to. I couldn't stand the thought of that happening to my mom, so... well, thank you, Lieutenant, for giving me the final nudge I needed to do something about it."
Now it was Provenza's turn to stare. Not just at Buzz's capacity to forgive him, but his courage too. The devoted son, who fully deserved the proud pat on his shoulder.
"Well, thank you, Buzz. I still could have done so more sensitively, but I'm glad I gave you that little nudge. Your mom's a great lady, and it was wrong of me to make such an assumption about her, but... well, when you get to my age, these old prejudices are pretty hard to shake off. See, Buzz, you weren't even a twinkle in your daddy's eye at the time, but I remember the sixties all too well."
Another peace offering, sincerely given - accepted as he'd hoped, with a priceless grin, and an even more priceless insult.
"Oh, so you did know John Wilkes Booth."
If he'd been those six inches taller, Provenza would have had the height to clip him round the ear. Instead, laughing too, his hand settled onto Buzz's shoulder, staying there as proudly as any father's as they carried their drinks back into the squad room.
If maybe less so for Buzz, the sight that greeted them was all they'd hoped for. Yes, the photos were out. All of them. Clustered around his mother's chair, his second family were laughing and cooing at every one of them.
"...aww, baby Buzz!"
"...wow, look at that hair..."
"...yeah, he was a real little Beach Boy..."
"...oh, for heavens sakes, wasn't he just too cute?!"
"...yeah, he hasn't changed a bit, and... hey, would you look at that? Six years old, and he had his first camera!"
Rolling his eyes at the chorus of 'awwwwws' that greeted him, Buzz glanced across at Provenza, and smiled. Watching them, Brenda smiled too - meeting their eyes with a nod of approval as they joined in the laughter around them.
Yes, this was more like it. Family, reconciled. Family, united. Family, together.